Clamp for heel doweling machines



June 30, 1959 c. A. DAVIS 0 I CLAMP FOR HEEL DOWELING MACHINES Filed Jan. 2, 195a United States Patent "lee 2,892,200 CLAMP FOR HEEL DOWELING MACHINES Charles A. Davis, Slaugus, Mass, assignor to W. J. Young Machinery .00., Inc., Lynn, Mass.

Application January '2, 1958, Serial No. 706,826 3 Claims. (Cl. 12-1233) means, by which heels, and particularly plastic heels made of such materials as acetate and having a slender elongated neck maybe substantially reinforced by the insertion of a metal rodhwithin the heel, without the marring or drilling of the lower base .of the heel to which lifts are normally nailed. i

In the present day manufacture of ladies shoes, there has been a substantial trend towards the utilization of plastic heels havingvery narrow necksor shanks which taper down to a bottom surface ordinarily having a diameter of no more than /6". As plastics, unless reinforced, are quite apt. to crack upon the application of excessive torques or other pressures, it has become customary in the trade to reinforce the plastic heels by drilling a dowel hole from the bottom surface upwardly through the narrow neck into ,the larger upper portion of the heel, after which areinforcing dowel of metal or the like is inserted. .In order to attach the lift, however, it is necessary to close off the hole in the lower surface of the heel to provide an area to which the lift may be attached by nailing. In the past the trade has resorted to the expensive and inconvenient technique of filling the lower end of the dowel hole with a wooden plug or the like to which nails may be secured. This has proved relatively unsatisfactory because it is not only an expensive vprocedure, but also because it does not really secure the lifts in a manner which is satisfactory.

The present invention is designed -to overcome this difliculty by providing both a .heelhaving a narrow neck or shank ofimproved design and also a device for satisfactorily processing these heels.

In the present invention, the .heel having a narrow elongated shank is drilled from the upper surface which normally faces .the sole:of the shoe. This hole within which is positioned the reinforcing dowel, extends downwardly through the narrow neck portion of the heel to a point some distance above the lower surface of the heel thus providing a reinforced heel, while at the same time maintaining the smooth unbroken lower surface towhich lifts may readily be-attached by old conventionalmeans.

In order to provide such a structure, however, great care must be taken in the drilling procedure and insertion of the dowel, for where narrow neck heels such as the ones under consideration are being processed, the tolerances which must be maintained when drilling from the upper ends of the heels, are considerably smaller than those when drilling from the lower end of the heel. Accordingly the present invention provides a means adapted to be used in conjunction with a heel doweling machine for assuring that the heels will be properly 2,892,200 Patented June 30, 1959 located and secured for the drilling procedure. This clamping means is used in conjunction with a doweling machine such as disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 1,986,458, issued January 1, 1935, to W. J. Young. This clamping device is adapted to be used in conjunction with such a machine, and preferably a four station machine with the clamping member secured to the work carrier in such a manner as to be successively rotated into the drilling area, while at the same time maintaining heels inserted therein in selected positions for drilling.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved clamping device adapted to secure a heel for drilling on a heel doweling machine with the lower surface of the heel faced downwardly in such a manner as to permit drilling of the heel along a vertical axis from the upper surface thereof. A further object of the present invention is to provide a clamp for securing heels, preferably of the plastic variety, in the manner as described, with the clamping means providing a plurality of adjustable controls adapted to permit heels of various shapes and sizes to be readily substituted in the clamp.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clamp of the present invention as positioned on the work carrier.

Figure 2 is an end view of one element illustrated in Figure l.

- Figure 3 is a top plan view of a second element illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a third element as illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fourth element illustrated in Figure 1.

. Figure 6 is a cross sectional elevation of a heel in part manufactured by the device of the present invention.

The clamping device of the present invention is designed for use in conjunction with heel doweling machines such as is illustrated in US. Letters Patent No. 1,986,458, and in particular is designed for substitution of clamping members such as shown in Figures 8 and 9 of that reference. In this arrangement, the base 1 is preferably a rectangular metal block, secured to the work carrier 2. This block 1 may be provided with a longitudinally extending channel 3, formed in its lower surface and adapted to fit over a corresponding shoulder on the carrier 2. A machine screw 4, passing upwardly through the carrier 2 into the base 1, secures it in selective position. An angle member 5 having legs 6 and 7 is secured to the rear wall 8 of the base 1 by a plurality of machine screws 9 and 10 which pass through the lower end of the leg 6 into the rear wall 8 of the base 1. The leg 7 of this angle member 5 extends forwardly over and parallel to the upper surface 11 of the base 1. A flat template 12 is secured with its rear portion in face relation to the upper surface of the leg 7, by means of a machine screw 13 which passes downwardly through aslot 14 in the template 12 into the upper surface of the leg 7, with the head of the machine screw 13 engaging the upper surface of the template 12 on either side of the slot 14. The template 12, best illustrated in Figure 4-, is provided as indicated with the rearwardly extending slot 14 and a forwardly directed V-shaped recess 15 longitudinally aligned with the slot 14. This recess 15 is adapted to engage the upper rear portions of a ladies heel when positioned in the clamp. The template 12 is adjustable by loosening the screw 13 to permit its retraction to a more rearward position for the insertion of a large or different size heel.

Secured to the upper surface of the base 1, is a support 17 which is slidably secured to the base by a plurality of machine screws18 which project downwardly through slots 19 and 20 in the support 17 into the upper 's' u rface ll of the base 1. The heads of the machine screw engage in slidable fashion the upper surface of the support 17 on either side of the slots 19 and 29 The support 17 is longitudinally slidable over the surface of the base 1, guided by the machine screws 18 and the slots 19 and 20 by the screw 21 which projects from the rear of the clamp through the leg 6 into the support The screw 21 is provided with a knurled head 22 at one end, with its other end threaded into a recess in the support 17. The screw 21 is secured or journalled in the leg 6 by means of bearings 23, which permit its rotation and thereby permits longitudinal movement of the sup port 17. The forward end of this support is provided with a V-shaped recess 27 adapted to engage the lowerend of 'aheel such as is illustrated by the lower end 28 of heel 29. l

Also provided in this mechanism for securing the selected heel 29 in a particular position with a minimum of adjustment is the inverted U-shaped member 30. This member comprises a pair of arms 31 and, 32 pivotally secured at their lower end as indicated at 33 to opposite sides of the base 1, with the cross member 34 securedat the other end extending over the top surface 11 of the base 1. This cross member 34 is adapted to engage the forward lower surface 37 of the heel 29. This cross member 34 is spring tensioned rearwardly against the stop 38 extending outwardly into contacting engagement with the arms 31 or 32 from the side wall of the basel .by means of a spring 39 which is secured at one end to the pin 40 and at the other end to the pin 41. The pin 40 in turn, forms a portion of arm 32, while pin 41 is secured to the side of the base 1. V

Thus it will be observed from theconstruction described, means are provided for securing a heel 29 in an upright position with the particular locatioriof the heel being subject to a precise determination, so that the drilling of doweling holes from the upper surface 51 forthe purpose of inserting dowels may be accurately assured.

As indicated in the cited patent, these clamping mechanisms form one of several clamping mechanisms, each adapted to be moved successively from one station to another, in which at one station a hole may be drilled and in the second a dowel may be inserted for reinforcing the heel. By the precise controls obtainable through adjustment of screws 21 and 13, and the constant positioning tension obtained by the member 30, a precise accuracy in the drilling of holes in successiveheels may be obtained. Further there is little likelihood ofinaccuracies in the drilling which might permit the drilled holes to pass through the wall ofthe heel at the slender neck portion. These results are obtainable in a manner which still permits the ready removal of the heel for the insertion of additional ones.

Referring now to Figure 6, a typical construction of heel is shown. In this arrangement a plastic heel 50 having an upper surface 51 and a lower surface 52 is formed with a slender neck ors'hank 53. A reinforcing rod 54 is' inserted within an elongated hole 55 formed substantially vertically from the upper surface 51 downwardly to a point 56 which is spaced above the lower 4 surface 52 a sufiicient distance to permit heel lifts to be secured to the heel.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. For use with a heel doweling machine having a vertically positioned drill, a clamping mechanism adapted to precisely locate a heel below said drill, comprising a template and support, each having a recess adapted to receive the rear of a heel, means adjustably securing said template and support for parallel movement with said recesses adapted to receive said heel andposition it with the wider portion upward and the elongated neck vertically aligned, and means for removably securing said heel in said position, comprising a cross bar, an arm pivotally supporting said bar for movement toward and away from said recesses for engagement and disengagement, respectively, with said heel positioned therein, and means tensioning said bar towardsaid recesses, said means for adjustably securing said templateand support comprising a base slidably supporting said support and a member slidably supporting said template above saidsupport, and means for securing said support and template in selected positions 2. For usewitha heel dowelihg machine having a vertically positioned drill, a clamping mechanism adapted to precisely locate a he'elb'elow said drill, comprising a template ands'upport, each having a recess adapted to receive the rear of a heel, mea'ris. adjustably securing Said mpl a d ppo tn o pa a le mo with said recesses adapted to receive said heel ai d Position it with the wider portion ppward and the elongated neck vertically aligned, and means for removably securing said heel in said positi'on, 'c ompri sirig a cross bar, an arm pivotally supportingsaid bar for movement toward and away from said recesses ,for engagementand disengagement, respectively, with said heel positioned therein, and means tensioning said bar towardjsaid recesses, wherein said means for adjustably securing said template and support comprises a base slidably supporting said support, an angle member secured atone end to said base and slidably supporting said templat'e' at the other end parallel to andon a level above saidsupport, and means securing said support and terin'alate in selected positions.

3. For use with a heel dowelingmachine having a vertically positioned drill, a ,cla mping mechanism adapted to precisely locate a heelbelow said drill comprisinga template and support, each haviti'ga recess adapted to receive the rear of the heel, me'aris adjustably securing said template and suppdrt for parallel movement with said recesses adapted to receive said heel and position it with the wider portion upward and the elongated neck vertically aligned,, ai1d means forremovably securing said heel in said position, comprising a crossbar, an arm pivotally supporting said bar for Indveme'nt toward and away from said recesses for engagementand disengagement, respectively, with said h'ejel ,pos'itioned therein, and means tensioning said bar towards said recesses.

References casein e file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

